Lori Fung Methorst, (馮黎明; born February 21, 1963) is a Canadian gymnastics

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and retired

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordi ...

. She won the gold medal in all-around rhythmic gymnastics at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

, the year the sport was introduced to the Olympics.

Early life

Fung was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She was part of her elementary school gymnastics club. One of her teachers noticed her level of skill and suggested she try rhythmic gymnastics. She began training in the sport in 1976. She is of

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

descent.

Career

She was a three-time Canadian rhythmic gymnastics champion prior to her Olympic debut in 1984. The year before the Olympics, she placed 23rd at the world championships, but was able to raise her ranking in subsequent meets in order to qualify for the games. Rhythmic gymnastics was officially added as an Olympic sport at the

1984 Olympic Games The 1984 Olympics may refer to: *The 1984 Winter Olympics, which were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia *The 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an intern ...

. That year, the gymnasts from Bulgaria and USSR were favored to win, but the Eastern led Boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics meant the top gymnasts were absent from the competition. Fung trained with Romanian rhythmic gymnast

Doina Stăiculescu Doina Stăiculescu (born 7 December 1967) is a Romanian individual rhythmic gymnast. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics, when rhythmic gymnastics was introduced as an Olympic event.Aline Dragan Aline may refer to: *Aline (given name), a feminine given name Places *Aline, Idaho, United States, first settlement of the Latter-day Saints movement, now a ghost town *Aline, Oklahoma, United States, a town *Loch Aline, Scotland *266 Aline, a ma ...

, who finished first and second respectively. In the final, Fung upset the Romanian team to become the first gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics. Fung retired from competition in 1988. She went on to become a coach, including a role as national team coach for Canada, and to co-own a Vancouver gymnastics club.

Personal life

Fung married Dean Methorst in 1996. They have three children.

Honours

* In 1985, she was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. *In 1985, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. * In 1990, she was awarded the Order of British Columbia. * In 2004, she was inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

References

External links

* 1963 births Canadian rhythmic gymnasts Gymnasts at the 1984 Summer Olympics Living people Canadian sportspeople of Chinese descent Members of the Order of British Columbia Members of the Order of Canada Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic gymnasts of Canada Olympic medalists in gymnastics Sportspeople from Vancouver Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics 20th-century Canadian women {{rhythmic-gymnastics-bio-stub